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Comparison of the most popular open-source GIS software in the field of landscape ecology
76-92Views:158GIS (Geographic Information System) software is a very useful tool in modern landscape ecology research. With its help data can be obtained which can - after processing - help to understand and demonstrate the processes taking place in the landscape. Since direct environmental measurements and sampling from a large area are, in many cases, difficult or even impossible, modelling with GIS tools is very important in the workflow of landscape research and landscape analysis. In this article we review the best known open source GIS systems and geographic information tools with possibilities for landscape ecology application. Furthermore we will introduce all the basic concepts that are associated with these open source software programmes. We provide a comparative analysis of the most widely used open source GIS applications, where, through a specific example, we will examine how these tools are used to produce basic landscape metric indicators. We will examine those functions of the programmes that are necessary to produce a complete thematic map, and finally we will emphasize various other important functions of the software to give adequate information for those users who choose open source code GIS tools, for financial reasons or otherwise, to complete a landscape ecology analysis. Our opinion is that this type of comparison is much more informative than those done by proprietary software, because these latter are all based on a basic data library, and therefore yield similar results (proj4, gdal/ogr, jts/geos, etc.) to their ‘paid’ competitors. This examination is timely, as these programmes have been gaining popularity over the last 20 years thanks to their continuous development, their independence from any platform, and their compatibility with most data formats.
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Potential applications of landscape ecological patch-gradient maps in nature conservational landscape planning
160-169Views:28There are rather limited opportunities for using the results of landscape ecology in practical nature conservation. The reasonS for this are – at least partly – the different scales and frames of the two fields. For more effective cooperation there is an opportunity for landscape ecology to determine patch-gradients that are helpful for nature protection in expanding the living space of endangered species via CORINE land use-pattern in mixed use agricultural areas. Such alternative migration tracks become valuable in places, where landscape ecological corridors and stepping stone places are missing. The method applies the gradient concept of landscape structure of McGarigal and Cushman (2005). Determination of patch-gradients can be a good background material for settlement- and infrastructure planning; and for the elaboration of medium- and long term nature protection concepts or for even general landscape protection strategies as well.
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Big plans and little plans: delivering land use change designed by landscape ecology
68-74Views:44In this paper I describe some of the ways in which landscape ecology principles have been incorporated into land use planning and change. In Scotland we have tried developing landscape-scale or regional plans for land use change to resolve issues of habitat fragmentation – the ‘big plans’ of the title. We have also developed ‘little plans’ – much smaller proposals based on individual designated sites. My conclusion is that both of these approaches are weak in directing land use change at the scale necessary, and that a system which ‘scores’ land manager-generated proposals is a more useful new approach.
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The concept of the landscape and its acceptance in the practice
93-104Views:40The landscape is historically perceived basically in two ways: as a tangible material reality and also as an intangible, mental and artistic experience. The basic practical policies related to the landscape ecology under the umbrella conception of the integrated land resources management are based on materialistic geocomplex/geosystem conception. In last decades a massive wave of the “friends of landscape” appeared, who shifted their attendance to the cultural-historical-value and perception based approach to the landscape. This wave is supported by the compromiss soft definition of the landscape and the wording of the European Landscape Convention. Nevertheless, the penetration of the landscape to the practical policies requires the materialistic approach and definition of the landscape.
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Mapping aquatic vegetation of the Rakamaz-Tiszanagyfalui Nagy-Morotva using hyperspectral imagery
1-10Views:149Rapid development in remote sensing technologies provides more and more reliable methods for environmental assessment. For most wetlands, it is difficult to walk-in without disturbing the endangered species living there; therefore, application of opportunities provided by remote sensing has a great importance in population-mapping. One effective tool of vegetation pattern estimation is hyperspectral remote sensing, which can be used for association and species level mapping as well, due to high ground resolution. The Rakamaz-Tiszanagyfalui Nagy-morotva is an oxbow lake, located in the north-eastern part of Hungary. For this study, a wetland area of 1.17 km2 containing the original water bad and shoreline was selected. For the image analysis, images taken by an AISA DUAL system hyperspectral sensor were used. At the same time, 7 main vegetation classes were separated, which are typical for the sample plot designated on the test site. Classification was performed by the master areas signed by the most common associations of the Rakamaz-Tiszanagyfalui Nagy-morotva with determined spectrums. During the image analysis, SAM classification method was used, where radian values were optimized by the results of classification performed at the control area.
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Biogeomorphological feedback in karst areas
101-108Views:206In the last decades, the research on ecosystem services have emerged in the field of geography. The negative impacts of human activities on the vulnerable karst areas are getting enforced quickly, which have an unfavourable influence on ecosystem service provision. On karstic areas, there are significant geographical processes, connected to biological activities. This issue is not adequately discussed in the current literature of karst ecology. In our study, we give an overview on the biogeomorphological feedbacks that change the functions and overall value of karst ecosystems.
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Integrating applied lake ecology into spatial planning: towards a socially acceptable lakeshore restoration at Lake Velence (Hungary)
27-41Views:190A good chance of a socially accepted shore-restoration that is sustainable for the long run stands only, if all those, concerned in lake use, are also interested in the ecological interventions, if shore-restoration serves social and economic purposes, as well. In the previous phase of our research, assessments were made to find the sections of the shore zone that are suitable for restoration: to detect the sites where the existing artificial shoreline stabilization works could be removed. So that social demands should be involved in the assessment process, to begin with, structured interviews were made. According to the results, the share of the plots, being suitable or partially suitable for shore-restoration, slightly exceeded 7%. The analysis of restoration’s limiting factors has shown that the type of shoreline stabilization, the width of zone covered by emergent macrophytes, the extent of human pressures, and the relevant regulations on zoning (fixed in urban plans) together set limits to restoration. The interviews have made it clear that as a result of the changed demands on recreation-tourism, also the natural and landscape values have become more significant.
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The developement of red mud flood environmental information system and the methodology for the spatial analysis of the degraded area
1-11Views:174The red mud disaster occurred on 4th October 2010 in Hungary has raised the necessity of rapid intervention and drew attention to the long-term monitoring of such threat. Both the condition assessment and the change monitoring indispensably required the prompt and detailed spatial survey of the impact area. It was conducted by several research groups - independently - with different recent surveying methods. The high spatial resolution multispectral aerial photogrammetry is the spatially detailed (high resolution) and accurate type of remote sensing. The hyperspectral remote sensing provides more information about material quality of pollutants, with less spatial details and lower spatial accuracy, while LIDAR ensures the three-dimensional shape and terrain models. The article focuses on the high spatial resolution, multispectral electrooptical method and the evaluation methodology of the deriving high spatial resolution ortho image map, presenting the derived environmental information database.